by Black Pepper Chicken recipe excerpted from The Defined Dish: Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes © 2019 by Alex Snodgrass.
INGREDIENTS:
BLACK PEPPER SAUCE
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup coconut aminos
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fish sauce (Red Boat)
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (see note)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
CHICKEN
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
4 celery stalks, ends trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced (2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS:
MAKE THE BLACK PEPPER SAUCE:
In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce, black pepper and ground ginger. Set aside until ready to use.
MAKE THE CHICKEN:
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper. Use a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet to pound the chicken until it is an even ¼ inch thick. Discard the parchment, then cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
Place the cubed chicken in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons of the avocado oil, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then add the arrowroot and toss again.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining ¼ cup avocado oil. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer (you may need to do this in two batches). Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the celery and onion to the same skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, being careful not to burn, about 1 minute.
Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken and vegetables, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt to taste. Serve as is or with cauliflower rice, and top with a sprinkle of pepper.
NOTE: Regular old ground black pepper just doesn’t work in this dish! It’s essential that you use freshly cracked black pepper.
In the cookbook, Alex suggests serving the black pepper chicken over cauliflower rice, but my husband loves white rice so I served mine tonight with Lundberg Farms Jasmine rice. If you want a little more spice, peppers would be a great addition to this dish, but it is really delicious the way it is.
I hope you love this dish! Leave me a comment and let me know what you are cooking tonight!
XO,
Brit
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